ANKARA

Japan is likely to relax COVID-19 restrictions for people arriving from China after the rate of positive cases in travelers has recently decreased, local media said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is expected to ease border controls for people arriving from China by the end of this month and to take a more selective approach to test passengers, Kyodo News Agency reported, citing unnamed official sources.

Last month, restrictions were imposed by Japan and a few other nations, including the need for travelers from China to have negative COVID-19 tests.

In retaliation, Beijing suspended visa issuance to Japanese citizens, which they later resumed.

Beijing has also suspended the issuance of short-term visas to South Korean nationals for visits, business, tourism, medical, and transit purposes.

Aside from Japan, the US, UK, Italy, Spain, France, Morocco, Qatar, Canada, Greece, Malaysia, Finland, and the Netherlands had imposed restrictions on travelers arriving from China, including a requirement for negative COVID-19 test results.

China dumped its "zero-COVID" policy last month, allowing full international travel.

On the first day of resuming full international travel, China welcomed thousands of travelers.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid